Summer Paradise Lost
by Toutebelle
Summary: Nate gets a chance to see a live performance by a teen pop singer named Alexandra Crowley. Nate thinks she is a sweet, friendly girl with happy music, but when he meets her, it turns out that she's not so nice in real life. Meanwhile, Hugh's mother is pregnant and Hugh is trying to prepare his house for the new baby.
1. Animal Crackers in My Soup

_**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Nate, Rosa, Hugh, or other characters in this story. They are property of Nintendo. I do, however, own a few of the characters, such as teen singing sensation Alexandra Crowley._

_This fanfic is rated T for cursing and crappy references to stupid celebutards. It is not for those under the age of 13._

_Jordan Moseley is NOT the same person as the That's So Raven actress. I named her before I knew there was a real actress with the name._

_This is the first time in a while that I've written a fanfic with Nate (excluding my adaptation of The White Doe). I've changed some details about Nate since then. I don't know where I got the idea to have Hilbert act in Pokestar Studios, though._

* * *

**THE ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS**

**SUMMER PARADISE LOST**

**CHAPTER 1: ANIMAL CRACKERS IN MY SOUP**

It was a warm early summer Thursday morning in Aspertia City. We focus on the home of Nathan Tolentino, also known as Nate, and his friends Rosa Carrillo and Hugh Ritchie. They were watching a movie from Unovan child star Jordan Moseley that she made several years ago, when she was seven.

The screen is on a fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed little girl in overalls, Jordan Moseley, who is playing one of those sickeningly sweet orphans. She is dancing and singing.

_Animal crackers in my soup_

_Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop_

_Gosh oh gee but I have fun_

_Swallowing animals one by one_

_In every bowl of soup I see_

_Lions and Tigers watching me_

_I make 'em jump right through a hoop_

_Those animal crackers in my soup_

"Ugh," said Hugh. "Could she get any more childish?"

"She's only doing that Shirley Temple gimmick for attention," said Nate. "And Jordan's rendition isn't even cute! This ridiculous movie was such a box office bomb. Plus Jordan Moseley is supposedly the most obnoxious little chit I can think of - she's a real brat. Hilbert even told me that since he worked with her. There's a reason why she's the most hated child star in Unova."

"I cannot stand that bitch," said Hugh. "She's got such a rotten attitude and she's rude to her fans. Plus her parents are the worst stage parents since Dina Lohan."

"It was funny last year when she was in _Sleeping Beauty, Princess of Power_," said Rosa. "She voiced Boo and the other annoying Rainbow Brite chipmunks. It was hilarious. Ludovic Thevenet sure knows how to troll us with his casting."

"I burst out laughing when Sleeping Beauty's ogress mother-in-law ate them," said Nate. "It was straight into a reference to _Pan's Labyrinth_."

"You got to be careful with celebrities," said Hugh. "They're often fakes with rotten attitudes."

"That's why I'm glad to be attending the outdoor concert venue for pop singer Alexandra Crowley in a few days," said Nate. "She's a nice, caring individual. She's a good Christian, she loves her parents, and she gives money to help poor, needy Pokemon. She's a sweet girl."

"You've never met her," said Hugh, "Where did you hear that?"

"The Internet," said Nate.

"You can't always believe what you see on the Internet," said Rosa.

"I know," said Nate, "but I've seen Alexandra's interviews, and she seems nice. You guys will come with me, right?"

"Sure," said Rosa.

"I guess so..." said Hugh.

Then, suddenly, the phone rang. It was Hugh's little sister Jenna.

"Hello," said Hugh. "How are you, Jenna? ...What's the news? ...You're serious? ...Oh, you are serious. That's excellent! I guess I'll come home now. But first I'll tell Nate and Rosa." He hung up the phone.

Hugh walked over to Nate and Rosa.

"Nate...Rosa..." he said. "I have an important announcement. My mother is pregnant. She is due in five months, and she is going to be having a girl."

"That's wonderful!" said Nate. Nate went to give Hugh a high five.

"Congratulations!" said Rosa.

"Mom will let you come over this evening for dinner," said Hugh.

Nate smiled.

"You're lucky you get to have a new little sister," said Nate. "I have a big sister, and it's not the same. She's nineteen - she's old enough to be a mom. Though she doesn't want kids just yet, obviously." Nate was referring to his older sister Melody, who was four years older than him.

"What's the baby's name going to be?" asked Rosa.

"My parents were thinking either Paige, Scarlett, or Amelia," said Hugh. "They want the middle name to be Isla."

"I like all of those names," said Rosa.

"Oh!" said Nate. "I almost forgot! Hilbert's coming over later - after you two guys leave. My parents don't mind him practicing here. He's going to be rehearsing for his Pokestars Studio movie. The movie is called Princess Belle-Etoile - it's based on a French fairy tale."

"Ugh, a kiddie movie," said Hugh.

Nate's jaw almost dropped.

"Actually, it's definitely _not_ a kiddie movie," said Nate. "It's a very old fairy tale. Fairy tales weren't originally written for kids. I have a book with the story in it that you can borrow. There's some pretty gory ones that you might like."

"I'll pass," said Hugh.

"Okay," said Nate. "Suit yourself."

Later that day, Hilbert came over to Nate's house. Hilbert and Nate had been good friends for a year now. Hilbert had taken an acting job at Pokestar Studios. He wasn't an A-list actor (quite far from it - he was C-list), but he was good at what he did. He was thinking of retiring from acting once he was twenty, and after that he would return to an ordinary life.

First, the two of them had lunch together - some rice and beans served with fried plantains, courtesy of Nate's mother. Then they went into Nate's room.

The two of them were in Nate's room. Nate was wearing his usual outfit, while Hilbert was wearing a green and blue plaid shirt and matching capris. Nate lay down on his bed (on his belly), while Hilbert was sitting in the computer chair, working on his lines for Princess Belle-Etoile. He was playing Belle-Etoile's cousin Prince Cheri.

"What a delightful surprise, Belle-Etoile!" said Hilbert, reading his script, "At length you come to the hunt, you for a moment who can never be persuaded to leave the joys of music and the sciences."

Nate clapped his hands.

"Wow," said Nate. "You're showing a lot of charisma. I think that's excellent!"

"I know," said Hilbert. "I try to make sure I can appeal to the audience."

"How has acting been?" asked Nate. "Is it good?"

"Definitely," said Hilbert. "All of the other cast members are very nice, and we've been getting along well. Yesterday we had one of my mother's pasta dishes. It's nice having Italian blood like I do on my mom's side - the food is so good!"

Nate giggled.

"I'm glad I'm doing a real, faithful fairy tale adaptation," said Hilbert. "Ludovic Thevenet's 'unique' take on Sleeping Beauty was too much for me. But it was funny seeing Jordan Moseley's chipmunk characters being eaten by that ogress!"

"I know," said Nate.

The two of them laughed.

"I'm going to be seeing Alexandra Crowley in a few days," said Nate. "She's going to be giving an outdoor performance."

"Damn," said Hilbert, "that doesn't sound fun."

"Huh?" asked Nate.

"I don't think you'd want to see her," said Hilbert.

"Why not?" asked Nate. "I know what she's like. I've seen her on TV."

"Nate," said Hilbert. "Alexandra Crowley isn't who you think she is. If I were you, I'd stay away from her. She isn't exactly the funnest person to be around."

"I'm sure she's not too bad," said Nate. "Now, let's not worry about that right now and work on your lines!"

Hilbert sighed.

"Okay," said Hilbert. "I am having fun reading the script."

Nate looked at the script and flipped through.

"You get to marry your cousin at the end," said Nate, smirking.

Nate helped Hilbert with his lines. They made sure that they got all of the lines right.


	2. Concert in Aspertia

_**A/N:** This is where all the action starts! Nate is going to see Alexandra Crowley perform live in Aspertia City._

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: CONCERT IN ASPERTIA**

Later that day, Nate went to Hugh's house. Rosa was there too.

Hugh's mom Stacie was sitting on the couch, wearing a sleeveless lavender dress. Her stomach was expanding - you could tell that she was pregnant. She was eating a bag of guacamole chips, which she had been craving.

"Ugh," said Nate. "Those guacamole chips smell awful. I think something else would be better."

"Sorry," said Stacie. "I couldn't resist these. The baby needs nutrients too."

Nate sat down in a chair, with a bottle of grape soda in hand, and started to drink it.

"I'm excited about the concert," said Nate. "In just three days I'm going to be seeing Alexandra Crowley perform. She's such a good singer."

"I know," said Jenna. "She's really catchy."

"I am going to go with Nate to the concert," said Rosa. "Hilbert is going to be accompanying us since he's going to be staying in Aspertia City for a few weeks. He's such a fun guy to be around - and he's a really great actor too! Bianca is lucky to have him as a boyfriend."

"So," Nate said to Stacie, "have you gotten any baby stuff?"

"We've gotten some stuff for her to play with," said Stacie. "We're also using Jenna's old crib for the baby. Joel and I have been receiving gifts. I'm glad to finally be having another child - it's been nine years. I don't think that I'm too old - I'm 35."

"That's not too old," said Nate. "Ginger Beauregard had a baby at 44. That's kind of old in my opinion."

"I'm going to be helping Dad put the crib together," said Hugh. "If you want, one of you can help out."

"I would love to," said Nate.

"We'll be doing it after dinner," said Hugh.

Nate and Rosa had dinner with Hugh's family. After dinner, Nate helped Hugh and his father put the crib together. Once they were done, Nate was allowed to play dolls with Jenna. Nate played with his prince doll - the one he got from the Pokestar Studios movie that he did (where he played a prince). Jenna played with her Monster High dolls.

"My baby sister's going to be getting her own room," said Jenna, "so I won't have to worry about her when she cries."

"I know," said Nate. "Babies can be so annoying with their crying. A few of my older cousins have babies and they cry a lot."

"I wish I could go to the concert," said Jenna, "but Mom and Dad said I'm too young. I hope you have fun."

"I'm sure of it," said Nate. "The concert will be great."

Over the next few days, Nate prepared for the concert. He made sure that he got a stylish outfit, he bought plenty of hairspray, and he shaved his armpits. He also shined his loafers and made sure that his nails were clipped. Nate hoped that it would be the best concert ever.

At last the long-expected and much-awaited day arrived. Nate was so excited about it that he had slept little, and indeed he had arisen before the sun. He made sure that he had the finest outfit - he put on a red plaid shirt and capris similar to the ones that Hilbert wore a few days ago, and he put a red fedora on his head. He put on his black loafers, and a blue kerchief around his neck (tied in the front). He put some hairspray in his hair and parted it in the middle. Nate looked ready to go.

When Nate walked out the door, he was greeted by a few yellow butterflies. He started to chase them around playfully. Then he was greeted by Hilbert, who showed up wearing the same outfit that he wore a few days ago. He was carrying a bag of candied papayas.

"Are you ready to rock?" asked Hilbert.

"Hilbert," laughed Nate, "Alexandra Crowley is pop, not rock."

"Oh," said Hilbert. "Right. Personally I don't care for Alexandra Crowley's music, but I know that you like her, so I'm coming anyway. And I've got candied papayas for us to enjoy! I'll share some with you on the way there."

"Thanks, Hilbert," said Nate. He took a few papayas. "They're delicious."

Nate and Hilbert walked further along the path, and then they saw Rosa. She was wearing a pink T-shirt, a green skirt, and pink shoes.

"Hello there!" said Rosa. "Are you ready for the concert?"

"That we are," said Nate.

"We better hurry up," said Rosa, "since the concert starts in less than an hour and we want to get good seats." Nate, Rosa, and Hilbert hurried to the concert grounds.

At the concert grounds, everyone was cheering. Nate, Rosa, and Hilbert sat in the third row - there were ten rows in all - and they looked at the concert shell. The crowd cheered as they waited for Alexandra Crowley to appear and to take center stage.

At last, Alexandra Crowley appeared. She was a tall, generic-looking cookie-cutter blonde with blue eyes. She wore a pink midriff-bearing top and black booty shorts. The crowd all cheered for her.

"And now I'm going to begin my song," said Alexandra Crowley.

_Baby, baby_

_I love you like the sun over the ground_

_I can feel it_

_While my heart pounds and pounds_

_Tell me right now_

_That your love for me is true_

_I will be waiting_

_For an answer right from you_

Nate and Rosa moved to the beat of the ecstatic, boisterous, happy pop song. Hilbert went along with it too. The three of them and the rest of the crowd moved to the beat of this song and all the other songs as well.

"She's just awesome - AWESOME!" said Nate.


	3. IT'S A FAAAKE!

_**A/N:** Now we're getting somewhere. This is going to be the chapter where Nate meets his beloved idol. But things aren't going to go well at all - see here for yourself!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: IT'S A FAAAKE!**

After all of the songs were over, Alexandra Crowley disappeared. Nate, Rosa, and Hilbert got up from their seats and took a walk to the back. They saw Alexandra going into her trailer. The three saw her slam the door.

"She's so wonderful..." said Nate.

Now let's take a look at Alexandra. She sat down in front of her vanity, admiring her platinum blonde hair. Her assistant, Glenda, walked in. Glenda was a short, pale woman with curly orange hair and green eyes.

"Aren't you done getting those pesky fans out of the way?" Alexandra asked Glenda.

"Yes, Alexandra," said Glenda.

"Those fans are such a drag," said Alexandra. "I'd love to get out of here. I'm eighteen years old and I'm wasting all of my best years traveling this awful region of Unova. I need to be in the real entertainment cities - London, Tokyo, all of those places!"

"Right," said Glenda. "London, Tokyo, the whole nine yards..."

"But I have you here, Mopsey," said Alexandra, holding her Lillipup in her hands, "you're my best friend! You're mine forever!"

Then, Alexandra's assistant Rose Nguyen, came in with Alexandra's strawberry banana milkshake. She gave it to Alexandra, who drank it. Then Alexandra started to turn red and she gave in to rage.

"This milkshake is strawberry banana!" yelled Alexandra. She threw the milkshake at Rosie. "I wanted strawberry guava!"

"Damn," said Rosie.

"Well, bitch," said Alexandra, "if you learned to get it right, we wouldn't have these problems!" She then slapped Mopsey and growled at Rose.

Rose left the trailer and started to take a walk. Nate, Rosa, and Hilbert saw her.

"Oh my," said Nate.

"Are you okay?" asked Rosa.

"I'm fine," said Rose.

"Who are you?" asked Hilbert.

"My name is Rose," said Rose.

"What a coincidence!" said Rosa. "My name is Rosa. Rosa Carrillo, to be exact. These are my friends Hilbert Klump and Nate Tolentino."

"I'm Rose Nguyen," said Rose, who was trying to hide her anger. "I'm Alexandra Crowley's assistant."

"Where is she?" asked Nate. "We'd like to see her."

"I don't think you'd want to see her right now," said Rose. "I'm not thrilled with working with her. And if you excuse me...I have to clean up." Rose walked away, sighing. She did not look happy at all - this would be a hint at Alexandra's personality.

Nate was confused. He did not know to make of it.

"What's going on?" asked Nate. "Why would someone be unhappy about working with Alexandra Crowley? She's magnificent!"

Alexandra Crowley walked out of her trailer. She was followed by Mopsey, who stuck close to the trailer. Alexandra walked along, looking like a supermodel as she strolled along the pavement. Nate was fascinated by the sight of her.

"Hey!" Nate called out. "Alexandra! It's me, Nate Tolentino! I'm a fan of yours!"

Alexandra looked at Nate and she shot a mean look at him.

"You're a fan?" asked Alexandra. "You think you're so special. Well...you're NOT!"

Nate gasped.

"What do you mean?" asked Nate.

"You fans are all so droll," said Alexandra, "and you all think that you have my support. Well, think again! I'm Alexandra Victoria Lucretia Crowley, and I can do what I want. And you better watch what you say, or else I'll call security on you!"

"But...but..." said Nate.

"But what?" asked Alexandra. "You're worse than my family."

"But I thought you loved your family," said Nate. "And you give money to help poor, needy Pokemon."

"No way!" said Alexandra. "I would not even think of helping such wretched creatures, with their disgusting germs and foul odors! I've been spending money on the latest outfits from Roberto Cavalli, Donatella Versace, and Marc Jacobs. I think it's so much better than helping Pokemon."

"I can't believe it!" said Nate. "You're a fake?"

"Wait until I get Bromwich!" said Alexandra.

"Alexandra, I think you should..." said Rosa.

"SECURITY!" yelled Alexandra.

A big, muscular blond man came out of nowhere and walked up to Nate. He put his hands on Nate's shoulders and started to send him away.

"No! Stop! Let me go! LET ME GO! HELP!"

Rosa and Hilbert ran after Bromwich (the blond bodyguard). When Bromwich pushed Nate, Rosa and Hilbert caught him.

"That teaches you to mess with Alexandra Crowley!" said Bromwich.

Rosa and Hilbert looked at Nate, who was in tears.

"Are you okay, Nate?" asked Rosa.

"This...this isn't happening!" said Nate.

"It is," said Hilbert. He sighed. "Nate, what I was trying to tell you the other day was that I met Alexandra Crowley last April in Castelia City. I was eating at KFC and she saw me. She was really rude to me and threw a bucket of fried chicken at me. She's such a bitch."

"I'm sorry, Nate," said Rosa. "But sometimes people aren't what they're cracked up to be."

"I want to go home," cried Nate.

"Okay," said Hilbert. "We'll take you home."

Rosa and Hilbert took Nate home. Hilbert promised that he'd take Nate to the beach that afternoon. When Nate was at home, he cried for a bit, and told his parents about it, who comforted him. Before lunch, Nate decided to remove every trace of Alexandra Crowley from his house. He deleted all of her songs on his iPod and he gathered up all of her merchandise - a CD, a poster, and a few other things - and put them in a garbage bag. He put the bag in the trash bin and brought it to the curb for the garbage truck to take it away.

"That solves everything," said Nate.

Later, Hilbert took Nate to the beach. It was really warm and sunny out - perfect for going to the beach. Nate and Hilbert removed their clothes and stripped down to their speedos - Nate's was navy blue and Hilbert's was dark green. The two of them sat by the beach grass and sunbathed on a large beach towel. Hilbert put on his round sunglasses.

"So," said Hilbert, "what did you do?"

"I got rid of everything related to Alexandra Crowley," said Nate.

"That sounds like a good move," said Hilbert.

"I think so," said Nate. "I'm just so devastated. I can't even cry anymore since I've done enough of it. All I want to do is shoot my face off. I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

"You'll get over it," said Hilbert. "I think that you shouldn't worry. Besides, she wasn't even your favorite singer."

"I know," said Nate. "But it's disheartening to know that someone who I thought was so kind and true to herself turned out to be a total phony."

"That's life, Nate," said Hilbert. "Things don't always turn out the way you want them to." Hilbert got up and walked through the beach grass. Nate got up with him.

"You're right," said Nate. "Something tells me this little stint is not over."

"Yup," said Hilbert. "Alexandra's going to be in town for the next week or so. And she's going to be everywhere."

"Let's just try to have fun," said Nate, "and watch out for her." The two of them looked around. They saw a glimpse of who they thought was Alexandra Crowley. They could not tell, but they were not letting their guard down.

"Wherever she is," said Hilbert, "she's going to be around."

Nate put his hands on Hilbert's shoulders. "Hilb, do you think that we are going to see her again?"

"We might," said Hilbert. "But we should just try to have fun. Wanna run through the grass, Nate?"

"Sure!" said Nate.

Hilbert and Nate ran playfully through the grass.

**The story isn't over yet...definitely not over!**


	4. Turn the Other Cheek

**CHAPTER 4: TURN THE OTHER CHEEK**

In the meantime, Alexandra Crowley was looking in the mirror, primping her stupid appearance.

"What an annoying day," she said. "That concert was such a drag, and it's been so boring for me. I'd rather be out partying in Ibiza with cute guys."

"Your concert was excellent," said Glenda.

"How the hell would you know?" asked Alexandra. "You were busy working!"

"I heard your singing from the back," said Glenda.

"Whatever," said Alexandra. "I'd rather be at the beach right now."

Rose Nguyen stepped forward.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but you've got an interview in less than an hour."

"God dammit!" said Alexandra. "Stop sneaking up on me, bitch."

Meanwhile, at the beach, Hilbert and Nate were really enjoying themselves chasing each other through the grass. Nate had forgotten all about Alexandra Crowley - maybe not entirely, but she wasn't the primary focus of Nate's mind. The two of them would just enjoy the sun.

Hugh and Rosa came walking down the path. Hugh was wearing a pair of striped board shorts. Rosa, who stayed behind, was wearing a yellow one-piece swimsuit. He looked at Hilbert and Nate.

"Speedos, eh?" he said. "Uncool, Nate! Those are for fat old men!"

Nate looked at Hugh.

"You know I like wearing these togs," said Nate, smiling. "Hilbert does too."

"Yeah!" said Hilbert playfully. "They're comfortable!"

"He even wears them for modeling shoots," said Nate.

Hilbert gave two thumbs up.

"Suit yourself," said Hugh.

"Sure," said Nate.

"So," said Hugh, "I heard about your concert with Alexandra Crowley. I knew she was going to give you trouble. You better not trust what you hear on the Internet - your parents tell you that all the time. That's why I supervise my little sister when she uses the Internet, and once my new baby sister is old enough, I'll do it to her too."

"You're right," said Nate.

"Better avoid the Crowley's nest," said Hugh.

"Huh?" asked Nate.

"I think he means that you should avoid Alexandra Crowley whenever possible," said Hilbert.

Rosa stepped forward.

"You don't have to worry," said Rosa. "We'll get back at her."

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Hilbert. "It's better to turn the other cheek."

"Fine," said Rosa. "Maybe we'll just wait and see." She walked up to Nate and Hilbert. "Nice speedos, guys! Especially you, Hilbert - you look awesome!"

"Thanks," said Hilbert.

"What about me?" Nate said coyly.

"You look awesome too," said Rosa.

"Thanks," said Nate.

"I'm getting hot," said Hilbert. "Want to take a swim?"

"Sure!" said Hugh.

The four of them went swimming in the ocean to cool off.

Later that day, Hugh, Rosa, and Nate were in Hugh's kitchen. (Hilbert had gone back to his cabin - where he was staying with his parents.) Hugh's mother was sitting at the table, with three slices of pizza and some little quiches.

"How are things going, Mrs. Ritchie?" asked Rosa.

"Good," said Stacie, eating a big slice of olive pizza. "When you're pregnant, you've gotta eat for two. That's why I'm trying to eat extra so me and the baby both get nutrients."

"I thought 'eating for two' was a myth," said Nate.

"My mom could help you get fit for bikini season after you have the baby," said Rosa.

Stacie giggled.

"Of course!" said Stacie. "I've been relaxing by the pool in my bikini this morning, though I think I'll look better once the baby is actually born."

"Nate and Hilbert had their speedos on," said Rosa. "They look so awesome in them."

Nate smiled.

"Anyway," said Stacie, "I've got some things for Hugh to do. You guys can help. We need to paint the new baby's room."

"I've got nice clothes on," said Nate, looking down at his shirt and capris. "I don't want to get dirty."

"I'll help," said Rosa.

"We're painting it pink," said Hugh, "just like every baby girl's room." Hugh said the last four words sarcastically.

Nate giggled.

"Thanks," said Stacie.

Nate looked up at Stacie, wondering if she had a job that he could do.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her.

"You can help dust all the pictures," she said.

"Okay," said Nate.

Nate and Rosa helped Hugh and his parents get ready for the new baby. It was a lot of work. Nate finished before Hugh and Rosa, so he decided to go home early. He bade farewell to Hugh and Rosa and went back to his house.

Nate's mother, Zenaida, greeted him as he approached the house. She was gardening outside.

"Hello, dear," said Zenaida. "How was everything?"

"Good," said Nate.

"Still worried about Alexandra Crowley?" asked Zenaida.

"Nah," said Nate. "I'm not going to let it bother me too much. I just have to accept it as it is. She's going to be in town for the time being, but I better just avoid her. That way, I'll be able to stay out of any potential conflicts."

"That's a good idea," said Zenaida.

"I'll just go to my room now," said Nate.

"Okay," said Zenaida.

Nate went inside and saw his father Angel, who was cooking. Angel turned around to look at Nate.

"Hi, son!" said Angel. "Dinner's going to be ready in half an hour."

"Okay," said Nate. "I'll be in my room."

"Sure thing," said Angel.

Nate went to his room. After he and his family had dinner, he called Hilbert. Hilbert was in his cabin, lying on his bed. He was smiling.

"Hey there!" said Hilbert. "I guess today was okay."

"Yeah," said Nate. "I know that Alexandra Crowley wasn't who I thought she was, but you and Hugh are right - it's best not to trust the Internet."

"I agree," said Hilbert. "The Internet is full of lies, and you have to be careful when distinguishing the facts from the falsehoods. And hey - at least the concert was entertaining. And they didn't even charge much - think of it that way."

"Yep," said Nate. "And you, Rosa, and Hugh are such great friends."

"Thanks," said Hilbert.

And we'll be seeing more of Ms. Crowley in the next chapter...


	5. Journey to Xibalba

_**A/N:**__ Yay! More Alexandra Crowley - and mocking of her._

_All of the KFC food mentioned is taken straight from KFC's website._

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: JOURNEY TO XIBALBA**

The next day, Nate got up to a bright sunny day. He hopped out of bed and greeted the sun.

"Hello there, sun," said Nate. Then Nate started singing.

_Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun_

_Please shine down on me_

_Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun_

_Hiding behind a tree_

Nate knew that it was going to be a good day, and that he was NOT going to see Alexandra Crowley. He went to eat breakfast. Then he took a shower and put on his usual outfit. He marched out of the house feeling giddy as a schoolboy.

Rosa and Hugh saw Nate smiling - and singing Fireflies. They wondered what was going on.

"What are you doing," said Hugh, "and why are you singing Owl City?"

"Because I'm in a super-happy mood!" said Nate.

"You never fail to amuse me, Nate," said Hugh.

"There's nothing wrong with that," said Rosa.

"I guess so," said Hugh. "At least he wasn't singing Mr. Golden Sun."

Nate stared blankly at Hugh.

"Actually...I was..." he said, "this morning." Nate sighed.

"No hard feelings, Nate," said Hugh. "I've slept over at your house, and I've seen you do it."

Nate, Rosa, and Hugh began to walk down the street and went to the park. They went to do some intensive Pokemon training. After they did that, the group watched the Ducklett flying overhead. Nate smiled and laughed.

"Wow, Nate," said Hugh. "You're a real card."

Later, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh went to see Hilbert, who was eating at KFC, his favorite fast food joint. Hilbert was ordering some chicken tenders, biscuits, and mac and cheese. Nate was thinking of ordering some KFC for lunch. Hugh and Rosa agreed to this. Nate ordered the same stuff as Hilbert, Rosa ordered a Doublicious and potato wedges, and Hugh ordered hot wings and corn on the cob. When they ordered, they went to eat with Hilbert.

"Hello there!" said Hilbert. "How are things going?"

"Excellent!" said Nate. "I am having lots of fun!"

"Nate's a little hyper today," said Hugh.

"He gets like that sometimes," said Rosa.

Hilbert laughed.

"I know he does," said Hilbert. "But you've got to be careful. You don't want to go on a journey to Xibalba."

"Huh?" asked Nate.

"Someone I work with told me that," said Hilbert. "What I mean is that you better watch out for Alexandra Crowley. She's going to be all over the place starting tomorrow. You better watch out for her. Like I told you, it's best to turn the other cheek."

"Yeah, I know," said Nate. "But tomorrow, I'm going to be hanging out with Rosa and Hugh, like I always do."

"I'm going to be busy that day," said Rosa. "I'm going to visit my aunt in Virbank City."

"And I've got to go to the store with Dad," said Hugh.

"What about you, Hilb?" asked Nate.

"I've got to be at the studio tomorrow," said Hilbert, "but I'll see you later."

"I'll see you later too," said Hugh.

"And I'll call you," said Rosa.

"Okay," said Nate. "I guess I'll just stay home."

That night, Nate decided to go online. He went to Alexandra Crowley's Twitter account - he hadn't been on Twitter in two months, and he had forgotten to unfollow her even though he had removed every other trace of her. He then looked at it.

_Hi everyone! After my concert in Aspertia City, I had this little meeting with this stupid, obnoxious brat with a dopey haircut. He really annoyed me and he wouldn't shut up. I'm just glad that Bromwich was there to remove him. Thanks for supporting me in my time of need. Cheers!_

Nate looked at the post and growled.

The next morning, when Nate got out of bed, he performed his usual routine. He did not sing when he greeted the sun. After his shower, he went to put on a black leather biker jacket with chains, white T-shirt, blue jeans, black boots, and sunglasses. Then he left the house.

When Nate walked through the streets, he had a scowl on his face. He then saw Cheren while walking down the street.

"Nate," said Cheren, "what are you doing?"

"I'm going to be doing some bad boy stuff," said Nate.

Cheren laughed.

"I can't see you doing that," said Cheren. "You're so...nice."

"Yeah," said Nate, "well there's a first time for everything, punk. I'm going to throw some water balloons at Alexandra Crowley. Where is she?"

"She's at the studio parking," said Cheren. "If you want, you can go see her. Just watch out for security guards."

"Whatever," said Nate.

Nate went back to his house to get his bike. He filled up some water balloons and put them in the bike's basket. He then ride his bike all the way to the studio, looking to see where Alexandra Crowley was.

Alexandra Crowley was in her trailer, kicking back.

"This is the life," she said. "I'm glad to be kicking back away from those wretched fantards. I am so good. I'm as beautiful as a Milotic." She soon fell asleep.

Nate waited for a quarter of an hour in front of the trailers, hoping for Alexandra to come out. He then decided to throw a water balloon at her trailer door. It landed on the door. Then he used a second water balloon and aimed it at the alarm. The alarm went off and made lots of noise. It woke Alexandra up, and she stormed out of there. She took the cucumbers off her eyes.

"Who's responsible for this?" she asked.

Alexandra then saw Nate, who was firing more water balloons.

"Oh," said Alexandra, "it's you again. What are you doing here?"

"Whatever I want, bitch," said Nate.

"Want me to call security on you, bastard?" asked Alexandra, who was losing her patience.

"Go ahead," said Nate.

Nate had only one water balloon left, and he tried to throw it at Alexandra. It hit Bromwich instead. Bromwich then grabbed Nate by the shirt, dragged him away, and threw him against a tree. Nate was knocked unconscious.

About an hour later, Nate woke up. Hugh and Hilbert were standing over him.

"What?" asked Nate, looking around. "Where am I?"

"You're in an open field," said Hugh.

"When I saw you half an hour ago, you were unconscious," said Hilbert. "I was really worried about you, and I cried out for help. Hugh came by and then waited with me. We would stay with you until you woke up."

"I'm awake," said Nate. He looked around. "Where are my sunglasses?"

"They broke," said Hilbert, "so I threw them out."

"I guess I shouldn't have taken revenge on Alexandra Crowley," said Nate. He promptly cringed, since he admitted what he had done.

"Oh, Nate," said Hilbert. "You shouldn't have gotten even with her."

"I knew this prank wouldn't work," said Hilbert.

"We're not mad," said Hugh. "We're just glad that you're safe."

"We won't tell your parents," said Hilbert. "Don't worry."

"But what about Alexandra?" asked Nate.

"Do your parents read celebrity news?" asked Hugh.

"No," said Nate.

"Then you're in the clear," said Hilbert. "Let's just take you home. I suggest that you stay home for the rest of the day."

"Sure thing, Hilb," said Nate.

Hugh and Hilbert took Nate home. Nate's mother made everyone lunch. Afterwards, Nate spent the rest of the day at home.


	6. Can Nate Come Out and Play?

**CHAPTER 6: CAN NATE COME OUT AND PLAY?**

Nate woke up the next morning at 5:30 AM. He had gone to sleep early the night before. The sun was coming up, but everyone else in his house was asleep, so he didn't know what to do.

"Man, I feel like I got hit by a truck." said Nate, feeling his head as he rubbed it through his hair. He then looked down at his body. He was wearing nothing but a pair of orange boxers with daisies on them. He felt a little cold for some reason - it must have been from being left out in the open after that injury.

Unable to think of anything else to do, Nate just lay in bed without falling asleep for the about an hour. Then he decided to call Hilbert.

Hilbert was in the bed of his hotel room. He was also clad in a par of boxers, which were spring green with forest green leaves on them.

"Hello?" asked Hilbert, picking up the phone.

"Hi!" said Nate.

"It's early," said Hilbert. "I'm really tired."

"I have to tell you about yesterday, Hilb," said Nate. "I told you that Alexandra Crowley tweeted about me the other day. That is why I tried throwing water balloons at her. I hope that isn't too big of a problem. I thought about it last night, and I've decided that I'm never going to leave my house ever again...well, until Alexandra Crowley leaves town."

"Nate," said Hilbert, "don't be so dramatic. You're overreacting to this. I saw the tweet too as your suggested. I'm going to be coming over there in three hours to talk to you. I don't have to be at the studio until 3:45 PM so we have plenty of time to talk. Maybe I'll bring Melissa Dufour, my co-star, over. She's playing Princess Belle-Etoile."

"Okay," said Nate. "Bye!"

Nate hung up.

Three hours later, Hilbert came over to Nate's house. Hilbert was wearing a blue plaid button-down T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. He looked shocked to see Nate in the doorway, wearing a sleeveless black shirt and short black shorts with white side stripes. He had a black sweatband on his head. He looked bewildered for some reason.

"Nathan," said Hilbert, "what happened to you?"

"Nothing's happened to me," said Nate. "I've just been staying home as to shelter myself from Alexandra Crowley. Ever since I decided that I'm never going to leave my house again, I've been doing just fine. After all, what harm can she do me here?"

Hilbert sighed. Nate let him inside. The two sat down on the couch while Nate's mom Zenaida gave the pair flavored sparkling water.

"Listen, Nate," said Hilbert, "you can't just run away from your problems. You have got to face your problems yourself. It's something that you've got to do. Just hiding in the house is going to make things even worse. Being introverted all because of a stupid celebrity is awful."

"Let me check your Twitter," said Hilbert. "Do you still follow her?"

"I unfollowed her when she made that post," said Nate.

"I'll take a look," said Hilbert. "I already blocked Alexandra and don't plan on unblocking her, so I'll just check yours."

"Let me do it," said Nate.

Nate went to his computer and turned it on. In a few minutes, he would go to his Twitter account. He searched out Alexandra Crowley and saw that she had made another comment.

_That stupid boy Nate struck again! He was trying to ruin my day by assaulting me with water balloons, and he hurt me so badly. :( Luckily I got that problem taken care of. Nate should learn to respect nice, sweet girls like me._

It was accompanied by a picture of Nate armed with water balloons, as well as a photo Alexandra doing a trashy pose in a halter top.

Nate saw it and could not say anything. Tears fell from his eyes.

"Oh, Hilbert!" said Nate, throwing himself into Hilbert's arms, "what am I going to do? I don't think that I can go outside my house anymore. I'm going to stay here as long as I want. I wish I knew what to do, Hilbert! I just don't know."

Hilbert sat Nate down on his bed.

"Look, Nate," said Hilbert, "you're going to have to face this problem eventually. Alexandra Crowley is going to be leaving town on Sunday so you can definitely come out of your room then. I'm going to talk to all of your friends."

Nate jerked his head back and lay himself down in a fetal position.

"I'm just going to wait here," said Nate.

"Suit yourself," said Hilbert. He got up from the bed and lay the blanket on Nate. Nate's boxers were hanging out of his shorts. Hilbert just shook his head and left.

At 3 PM, Rosa and Hugh went over to Nate's house. When they knocked on the door, Zenaida opened up.

"Hello, kids," said Zenaida. "Nate's in his room."

"Can Nate come out and play?" Hugh asked sarcastically.

"Sorry," said Zenaida, "but Nate has decided that he is not going to leave the house for a while."

"WHAT?" said Rosa. "He can't be serious!"

"It's because he can't be dealing with the stress over Alexandra Crowley's Twitter," said Zenaida. "He doesn't want to see anyone right now. He doesn't want to talk to you until Hilbert speaks to you."

"Where is Hilbert?" asked Hugh.

"He's at the studio," said Zenaida. "He's got to film scenes for Princess Belle-Etoile."

"I guess it's better not to call Hilbert until he calls us," said Rosa. "On the flipside, I've got a box of ladyfingers for Nate to eat." She handed Zenaida a box of ladyfingers. Zenaida looked at the box and smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

"We'll come back tomorrow," said Rosa.

"I don't think we can," said Hugh. "Mom's got preparations for her baby shower next week. She wants me to get things for the diaper cake."

Rosa snickered.

"It's not funny, Rosa!" snapped Hugh.

"Relax," said Rosa. She turned to Zenaida. "We'll see you then."

"Okay," said Zenaida. "Bye!" Zenaida closed the door. Rosa and Hugh walked away.

Later, at the studio, Hilbert was on dinner break with Melissa Dufour. Melissa was a year younger than Hilbert - she was sixteen, while Hilbert was seventeen. She had wavy blond hair reaching her mid-back and green eyes. The two of them were dressed as Princess Belle-Etoile and Prince Cheri - Melissa had a lovely blue gown with dark blue patterns, while Hilbert wore a salmon pink tunic with red tights. But instead of fancy French food, Melissa and Hilbert had ordered Chinese take-out. Hilbert was eating sesame chicken and Melissa was eating orange chicken. They also had dumplings and shrimp lo mein for both of them.

"Melissa," said Hilbert, "can you give me some advice?"

"What advice do you need?" asked Melissa.

"First," said Hilbert, "are you aware of Alexandra Crowley's tweet?"

Melissa dropped a piece of orange chicken on the floor. Her Liepard ran over to gobble it up.

"No!" said Melissa. "That's full of MSG! Cats aren't supposed to eat that." But it was too late. The Liepard had already eaten it. Melissa turned back to Hilbert. "Sorry about that, Hilbert. My Liepard can be a bit of a pest. What were you asking about again?"

"Did you read Alexandra Crowley's tweet from last night?" asked Hilbert.

"I did," said Melissa. "I think it's mean-spirited. Nate doesn't deserve to be treated like that. I know that he shouldn't have gone and thrown those water balloons, but Alexandra isn't even telling the whole story. You've just got to tell him that. That Crowley girl is just extremely desperate for attention."

"You're right," said Hilbert. "I should let him know."

"Convincing him is going to be the hard part," said Melissa. "People don't always take the advice that they get. But just in case he decides to come out...here are some invitations to Curtis' fifteenth birthday party a week from tomorrow." Melissa gave Hilbert some invitations. "You know Curtis, right? The one who goes by Christoph on TV?"

"I know him," said Hilbert. "He's such a nice guy. I'm sure he'd love to see Nate!"

In the meantime, Nate was just lying down on his bed, with his hands cupped, looking up at the ceiling. It was going to be hard spending the rest of his life inside his house, never to come out ever again. But Nate was longing for the outside world. He didn't know what to do - should he face reality or not?


	7. Advice for a Friend

_**A/N:**__ I intended to work on this yesterday, but since I was so tired the whole day, I was unable to. But I'm working on it today._

_This is the penultimate chapter. Chapter 8 will be the end of this._

_Curtis' younger brother Patrick is based on the brother that Curtis (the guy who calls Rosa on the Xtransceiver) mentions in one of his calls._

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: ADVICE FOR A FRIEND**

The next morning, Rosa and Hugh were back at Nate's house. They were hoping that Nate would come out again.

Rosa knocked on the door.

"Nate?" said Rosa. "It's me, Rosa."

Nate walked over to the door and opened it. He didn't look too happy.

"Oh," said Nate. "Hello. How are you? By the way, thanks for the ladyfingers yesterday. They were delicious."

"You're welcome," said Rosa.

"What are you here for?" asked Nate.

"We wanted to see if you would come play with us," said Rosa.

"I'm not really feeling up to it," said Nate. "I'm just going to stay here for now and hang out in my room."

Hugh facepalmed.

"Nate!" he said. "Sooner or later, you're gonna have to come outside!"

"I know," said Nate. "But now's not the day. Now run along and play with your little Pokemon."

Nate closed the door. Hugh growled.

"Let's just go back later," said Rosa.

"We've got a baby shower to prepare for anyway," said Hugh.

Later that day, Hilbert came over. He walked up to the door and knocked on it.

Zenaida opened the door.

"How's everything, Hilbert?" asked Zenaida.

"Good," said Hilbert. "I called Nate on the Xtransceiver this time and he picked up. He allowed me to come over for a visit. I know he's probably not wanting to come outside, but I'll just be happy to see him again...if that's all right with you, Mrs. Tolentino."

"Sure it is," said Zenaida. "You're probably one of the few people he's willing to talk to since he knows you can keep him safe."

"I try my best," said Hilbert.

"Nate is in his room playing with his dolls," said Zenaida. "Why don't you go see him?"

"Sure thing," said Hilbert. "Nate would be delighted to see me."

Hilbert went inside and went over to Nate's room. Nate was lying stomach down on his bed, holding his prince doll in one hand and a Spheal plush in the other. When Hilbert walked in the room, he saw Nate. Nate looked Hilbert in the face and greeted him.

"Hey there!" said Nate. He sat up and put his dolls on his nightstand.

"How are you, Nate?" asked Hilbert.

"I'm okay," said Nate. "It feels kind of lonely here, but Mom and Dad are home right now, so I don't have to worry about that."

"I can see that," said Hilbert. Hilbert took out an invitation. "It's an invitation for Curtis' birthday party next week. I thought you would be happy to go to his party. After all, you and him are friends - you met each other through Rosa. I hope you can make it."

"I'll think about it," said Nate. "Maybe I'll come out once Alexandra leaves town on Sunday, but first I would like to see some reactions from my friends. Why not call Curtis, Yancy, and some of the other people who I'm friends with?"

"Okay," said Hilbert.

"I'm going to get changed into my speedo so I can sunbathe," said Nate. "You've got yours, right?"

"Yep," said Hilbert. "It's really hot out, so I would love to sunbathe. Tomorrow, it will rain, but Saturday and Sunday are going to be nice out."

"Okay," said Nate.

Hilbert left the room and went to the family room so he could use his Xtransceiver. First, he went to call Curtis. Curtis picked up. He was sitting in his bedroom, smiling. A thirteen-year-old boy who looked like him, only slightly younger, was behind him. This was Curtis' younger brother Patrick.

"Hey there!" said Curtis. "How are things going?"

"Good!" said Hilbert. "I need some advice. You know Nate?"

"Yes," said Curtis. "How's Nate doing?"

"Not so good," said Hilbert. "Due to Alexandra Crowley's annoying Twitter posts making him look bad, Nate doesn't want to come out of his house. I'm one of the few people outside Nate's family who wants to talk to him."

"That sounds hard," said Curtis.

"What would you do?" asked Hilbert.

"I'd eventually want to go outside," said Curtis. "It gets boring being cooped up in my house forever. Plus I've got a job. Patrick here has more time for that, but even he doesn't like the idea of spending all his life inside his house. Right, Patrick?"

"Right, Curtis!" said Patrick.

"Thanks," said Hilbert. "By the way, how are people reacting to Alexandra's post?"

"Well," said Curtis, "the people I have been talking to have mostly felt bad for Nate. I saw that you posted a tweet last night telling about Nate. Maybe you can make Nate talk about his feelings in a video or something. That's a good idea."

"Okay," said Hilbert. "Thank you very much! If things go right, we'll both be at your birthday!"

"Sure thing!" said Curtis. "I've got to go now."

"Bye-bye!" said Patrick.

Hilbert called a few more of Nate's friends. He got the same response from all of them - that they all felt sorry for Nate. Hilbert was delighted to hear this.

Later, Hilbert got changed and went outside. Nate and Hilbert were sitting on a towel, relaxing and wearing their speedos. Nate's father Angel was also there, sitting on the patio in a beach chair. He was wearing a red speedo and had sunglasses on his face. The backyard was fenced in - Nate didn't count this as leaving his house.

"Well," said Nate, "at least Dad's watching us."

"It's really nice out," said Hilbert. "I'm glad to be out here with you."

"I'm glad about it too," said Nate.

"I called several people on the Xtransceiver today," said Hilbert, "and they've all come out in support of you. Curtis even suggested that you make a video talking about how you feel about everything."

Nate smiled.

"Really?" asked Nate.

"Really," said Hilbert. "If you want, Rosa, Hugh, and I will be able to come over on Saturday and we'll help you with your video! I think that will be great for you to show on Twitter...or perhaps YouTube or Facebook."

"I think Twitter will be the best," said Nate. "I've made up my mind. Once Sunday comes around, Nathan Tolentino is going to be leaving his house again!"

"Hooray!" said Hilbert.

Nate went to see his father and told him the good news.

"Dad!" said Nate. "On Sunday, I'll be going out of the house again."

"That's wonderful, dear!" said Angel. "Your friends will be really happy to see you again."

In the meantime, Alexandra Crowley was in her hotel room, with Rose and Glenda by her side, and her Lillipup Mopsey in her arms.

"It's such a drag reading all those Twitter posts," said Alexandra. "I don't get how people could feel bad for Nate."

"It's not everyone," said Rose. "I've heard people supporting you."

"Well," said Alexandra, "I know that Nate shouldn't be the one who comes out on top. I'm the one who gets the awards and all the money - right, Mopsey?" Mopsey barked in delight.

"It shouldn't be too bad," said Glenda. "You'll be leaving in a few days and that is what's important. Right?"

"Right," said Alexandra. "I'm never coming to this shitty town again."

That night, Nate called Rosa and Hugh on the Xtransceiver and told them all the news!

"I'm very happy about that!" said Rosa.

"We'll be glad to see you outdoors again," said Hugh, "out of your house and not just in your backyard."

"I know," said Nate. "Home is so quiet, I can hear myself think out loud."

Nate, Rosa, and Hugh laughed.

"I'll come over with the video camera on Saturday," said Hugh. "I've got to help my parents on Friday."

"I'll be there too," said Rosa.

"And did you get invitations to Curtis' birthday party?" said Nate.

"We did," said Rosa.

"I'm taking my little sister and my mom," said Hugh.

"It will be good to see you out in public again on Sunday," said Rosa.

"I know," said Nate. "I thanked Hilbert for it. He's going to be coming over too."

"Sure thing," said Rosa. "See you then!"

Nate's parents took a peek at their son.

"I'm glad that he's happy," said Angel.

"It makes us happy," said Zenaida.


	8. Reaching a Conclusion

_**A/N:** At last, I have reached the final chapter of this fanfic! I thought this would be good for some closure._

_I hope you all liked it! Feel free to review!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: REACHING A CONCLUSION**

On Friday, Nate just spent the day at home. It was raining, so he didn't have much to do. But on Saturday, Nate decided to get the video rolling. He brought over Rosa, Hugh, and Hilbert to make the video.

Hugh directed the video, while Rosa helped Nate think up a script. Hilbert just watched to see how things were going. Nate wanted to think of some good lines, but he wasn't good at making long speeches.

"It doesn't have to be long," said Rosa. "As long as you put your heart into it, it will be a good thing to do."

Nate and Rosa worked on the script for a while, while Hugh made sure that the camera was ready for filming. Eventually, everything was ready for filming. Nate sat down on his bed, while Hugh got the camera ready.

"And we're on in 5, 4, 3, 2..." said Hugh, turning on the camera.

Nate began to talk.

"Hello, ladies and germs. It's me, Nathan Tolentino, a happy, cheerful person. Well, I was, until a certain singer started tweeting about me being a jerk. I tried taking revenge at her, but then I realized that I was being wrong and I should not stoop to her level. But then her Twitter got the best of me, and I lost my confidence, resulting in me shutting myself out from the rest of the world. And for the past few days, it's been boring around here, sitting in my house. But I don't want to be like that anymore - I don't want to spend the rest of my days cooped up in my room. I want to be strong and enjoy myself outside of home, where people and Pokemon have fun, and so I could feel better about myself and about other people whom I care about. I really hope that, through this video, I can gain my confidence back. I thank my friend Hilbert for helping me out, my friends Rosa and Hugh for standing by me, my friend Curtis for giving me the idea for this video, and all my followers on Twitter for standing by my side. Thank you."

Hugh stopped filming. He, Rosa, and Hilbert clapped for Nate.

"Congratulations!" said Hilbert.

"It came out great," said Hugh.

"You should definitely upload it to Twitter - and YouTube!" said Rosa.

"You're welcome," said Nate. "I'll do all of that."

Later, Nate uploaded the video to YouTube, and afterwards he uploaded it to Twitter. That night, he and Hilbert went to see the view count. They watched it as well.

_Hello, ladies and germs. It's me, Nathan Tolentino, a happy, cheerful person. Well, I was, until a certain singer started tweeting about me being a jerk. I tried taking revenge at her, but then I realized that I was being wrong and I should not stoop to her level. But then her Twitter got the best of me, and I lost my confidence, resulting in me shutting myself out from the rest of the world. And for the past few days, it's been boring around here, sitting in my house. But I don't want to be like that anymore - I don't want to spend the rest of my days cooped up in my room. I want to be strong and enjoy myself outside of home, where people and Pokemon have fun, and so I could feel better about myself and about other people whom I care about. I really hope that, through this video, I can gain my confidence back. I thank my friend Hilbert for helping me out, my friends Rosa and Hugh for standing by me, my friend Curtis for giving me the idea for this video, and all my followers on Twitter for standing by my side. Thank you._

"Wow!" said Hilbert. "You've already got several thousand views! I'm impressed!"

"I am too," said Nate. "I'm glad that I've got so many people supporting me."

Nate read the comments as well. He was happy to see that they were positive and supportive - even on YouTube, where the comments can sometimes be rather idiotic.

"I'm glad you're happy," said Hilbert.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to go outside," said Nate.

The next day was Sunday. Nate went out in public for the first time in days. He saw everyone who he usually saw. They were greeting him and waving to him. He even saw Alexandra Crowley. She was not looking very happy.

Alexandra walked up to Nate.

"All right, loser," she said. "You win. People in this town are too stupid to appreciate me and my talents. They just want to support you. I've got a train to catch in about an hour, so just leave me and Mopsey alone." She had Mopsey in her arms. Mopsey looked tired.

"I hope you've learned an important lesson," said Nate. "Both you and me."

"Just get lost," said Alexandra.

"Okay," said Nate.

Nate left Alexandra alone. He went to do some Pokemon battling with Rosa and Hugh.

The next days were pretty easy. Nate did some Pokemon training, hung out at the park, went to the beach, and helped Hugh's parents. At last came Thursday, the day of Curtis' birthday party. Nate, Rosa, Hugh, and Hilbert attended the party.

Nate, Hilbert, and Curtis talked at one of the party tables.

"Hilbert," said Nate, "I would like to thank you for everything. I couldn't have made it through this rough period without you."

"You're welcome, Nate," said Hilbert. "What are friends for?"

Rosa and Hugh walked up to Nate.

"We're just glad to have a friend like Nate," said Rosa.

"He's the best friend we all can have," said Hugh.

Nate, Rosa, Hugh, and Hilbert had a group hug. Curtis took a picture.

"I'm definitely going to make copies of this!" said Curtis.

"Thanks," said Nate. "It was a great pic."

Hugh's mom Staci was calling out.

"Hugh!" she said. "Curtis' mom got me this nice gift. Want to see it?"

"Sure thing!" said Hugh. He turned to the group. "Gotta check out something Mom got. See ya later!"

Hugh went over to his mom.

"I'm hungry," said Nate.

"Well," said Curtis, "cake's not for a while, but we can have some potato chips now. Patrick brought the BBQ kind since they're the best."

"Sure thing!" said Hilbert.

Nate, Rosa, Hilbert, and Curtis chowed down on potato chips.

The birthday party was a success, and so was Nate's video. Thus everyone was happy - except for Alexandra Crowley.

**THE END**


End file.
